Fuel control system



Jan. 19, 1932. E. J. TE PAS FUEL CONTROL SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet FiledApril 21, 1928 gwuentoz Jan. 19, 1932. TE PAS 1,842,335.

FUEL CONTROL SYSTEM Filed April 21, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mnmmu PatentedJan. 19 32" f 5 N T D sures PIA-TENT." OFFICE EDMUND J. TE Pas, orLsxnwoon, onro, ASSIGNOR T trim PATROL VALVE Gourm.

- or CLEVELAND, 01110, A conrom'rron or omo e 'UEL con'rnor. srsrmrApplication nice April n,

This invention relates to automatically controlled gas burningappliances and in par- I ticular thethermostatic control means used 1 inconnection therewith. In automatically controlled gas fired heatingappliance of the conventional type it is .customary to have a constantlyburning pilot light adjacent the main heating burner of the appliance.so that when the control valve is opened admitting gas to the mainburners an ignition flame is present to ignite the gas issuing fromthese burners. In the event of extinguishm'ent f the pilot light underthese circumstances r W.gas will escape from the main burners and maycause a serious explosion or lead'to other hazardous results. I As ameans to prevent the escape of unburned gas due to pilot light zfailure,.thermostatic safety switches controlled by the heat of the pilot flameand in circuit with the operating valve have been proposed. Whenthepilotlight is burning such safety switches are normally in a closedposition and the electrically operated valve may be controlled by thefirst named thermostatic switch. Upon I extinguishment of the pilotlight the safety 1 switch automatically opens breaking the cir---controlled valve and.

cuit to the electrically. I preventing its opening and admitting gas tothe main burner.

incorporated in its arrangement certain 'fea 4S tures of safety combinedin a simple inexpen- 'The above arrangement is objectionable due to theuse of a plurality of separate conproved thermostatic valve.

section taken on line 5 -5 Fig. 3. 1 j

canbe 1528. Serial '1'... avraos. I

sive control including a novel thermally actuated valve. With the abovementioned and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novelconstructio'n, arrangement and combination of parts, hereinafterdescribed, illustratedins'ome of its embodiments in the accompanyingdrawings and particularl pointed out in the appended claims. Stated ingeneral terms my improved gas burner control comprises thermostaticflame. operated valve wliich requires the presence of an ignitionorpilot flame for its operation. I, The ignition flame which isinstrumental in opening the main su pl valve is further used to ignitethe gas adl ilitted to the main burner, upon the opening'of this valve.I The principal advantage of my improved control is that the main gassupply valve is thermally operated and requires the presence of aflameat the pilot burner before it is possible to open the valve. Byoperating the valve in this manner it provides a safe means of operationfor large gas fired heating units.

The pilot flame that lights the burner causes the gas supply of theburner to be turned on.

Referring to the drawings showing one embodiment of my invention; F1g.1' is a plan elevational view showing my improved valve as applied to amultipleburner gas burning appliance. Fig. 2 is a-aside elevational viewof the elements shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevational view insection, showing my im- Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.Fig. 5 is a 'Fig. 1 illustrates in part, some of the elements of theburner assembly of a multiple burner gas burning appliance. Thisarrangement may refer to a house heating furnace or boiler or any othergas burning ap pliance which is intended to be controlled at somedistant'point by means of a thermostatic I9.

valve responsive to the temperature of the medium which is being heated.

The reference numeral 1 indicates the main heating burners of theappliance which are preferably constructed as shown as Bunsen oratmospheric type burners. The burners 1 are mounted on gas and airmixing tubes 2, which are connected to adjustable valves 3 of the usualty which regulate the maximum height 0 the flame of the burner 1. Thevalves 3 are threadedly received in the burner manifold 4, locatedoutside the heating appliance.

The reference numeral 5 indicates the front wall of the appliance, whichin the present case is used to support the inlet ends of the mixingtubes 2. Gas to the burners 1 is supplied by way of the fuel feed pipe6, which is connected to the inlet end of a thermostatic valve 7, thatis in turn connected at its outlet end to the manifold 4. Thethermostatic valve 7 is provided with an internally threaded outlet 8which communicates with the inlet side of the valve 7 and is providedfor the purpose of connecting the constantly burning pilot burners 8 and9 to the gas supply line 6. This connection is aflectedby means of afitting 10 which is received in the outlet 8. A T fitting is connectedto the fit ting 10 and is connected at one of its branches to a smallgas valve 12 which is connected to thel conduit 13 leading to the pilotburners an 9.

The other branch of the T fitting 11 is connected to the conduit 14which is connected to a room temperature responsive thermostatic valve15 adapted to be located at a point some distance from the heatingappliance and for the purpose of controlling its operation. The outletend of the thermostatic valve 15 is connected to conduit 16 whichterminates in a small gas burner 1's". The gas burner 17 is positionedadjacent to and below the constantly burning pilot burner 8 and is inlighting proximity to this burner.

A helical coil of tubing 18 is positioned above and in axial alignmentwith the burner 17 and is adapted to surround the flame of this burner.The coil 18 forms a part of the conduit 19 which is connected by theapertured nut20 to the valve 7. The coil 18 and. the conduit 19 arefilled with vaporizable liquid. The operation of the valve 7 will bedescribed in detail shortly after the manner in which it is controlledby the room thermostat 15 has been stated.

Assuming for the present purposes that 'when a flame is present at theburner 17,

heating of the coil 18 will serve to open the valve 7 admitting gas tothe manifold 4 and burners 1. The valve 15 is of conventional design andis adapted to open when the temperature of the surrounding medium dropsbelow the temperature for which the valve is set, and to close when thetemperature reaches the valve setting.

which the thermostat 15 is located drops below the temperature for whichthis valve is set, the thermostat 15 opens its valve, admitting gas tothe burner 17 which is ignited from the pilot burner 8 and which thenserves to heat the coil 18 causing the valve 7 to open and admit gas tothe-main burner.

Should the pilot light 8 remaining extinguished at the start of theoperations just stated, the gas burner 17 would not remain ignited toheat the coils 18 and consequently the valve 7 would have remained in aclosed position. Under these conditions the gas supply to the mainburners will be cut off until the pilot burner 8 was relighted.

By this arrangement a safety control is provided for gas burningappliances which at all times is under control of the pilot burner whichis provided for the ignition of the main burner. Upon extinguishment of-the aforementioned pilot light it will be im- 21 and an internallythreaded outlet opening 22. A valve port is formed centrally of thevalve body and is defined by the valve seat '23. A valve head 24cooperates with valve seat 23 to control fluid flow through valve. Thevalve head 24 is faced with a yielding material 25 such as leather andis adapted to readily make a gas tight contact with the valve seat-23.

The valve head 24 is mounted upon a valve stem 26 by means of a ball andsocket joint 27. The valve stem 26 is journaled at 28 in and extendsthrough the side of the valve body. A spring 29 is compressed betweenthe valve head 24 and the valve cap 30 serves to move the valve head 24into engagement with its seat 23. The annul'ar flanged por-- tion 31, ofthe valve body casting is secured by means of screws 32 to the valveactuating "mechanism housing 34.

The actuating mechanism for the valve 'container 34 is connected manneras b sufficient pressure. are commonly used 1n connection with 011 liuids this consists of a metallic buckling dia hragm '33 which seals theone end of theflui container orhousin 34., The fluid container 34 isprovided with portion 37 by means of which it] is secured to the corresondingly flan 7 es portion 31 ofthe valve b y. The cham er defined bythe to'the conduit 19 by means of the apertured nut 20 and the conicalsleeve 35 which is secured ina fluid tight soldering, to one end of theconduit 19. T e conical member 35 is received in a correspondinglyformed outlet in the extension 36 of the container 34 and locked in afluid tight engagement therewith by the nut 20. I

The expression buckling diaphragm as used in connection with the element33 is intended'to cover only diaphragms constructed' a relatively rigidmaterial formed wlth a curved surface. 1 One of the characteristics ofsuch a diaphragm is that its curvature may be or vice versa with a snapwhen subjected to Diaphragms of this type cans. v J

. The conduit or tubing 19- terminates 1n a helical coil it ma beadvisable to have the sealed chamher 6 led with a vapor instead of aliquid.

There are a large variety of fluids which may be used fOltlllS purpose,including a list of liquids whose boil ng points vary between boilingpoint of ether and the boiling point of glycerin which represent the twoextremes in .whieh may be readily obtained for purpose; One of thefactors which de termme. the li aid to be used in connection with thevalve is the temperatures within the appliance at the point where thecoil 18 is located.

The liquidused should have a boiling point sufliciently high so thatwhen the appliance is in operation with the. main burners supf porting aflame will be wholl only through the operation of the burner 17 and inthe absence of J are by reason of the positioning the liquid within thecoil 18 y responsive to the gas flame of the burner 17, so thatregardless of the temperatures encountered within the appliance at thepoint where the coil 18 is located, it the valve 7 burner 17. In otherwords the liquid within the coil 18 can only be vaporized by the flameof,.the' such a flame will condense or remain in a liquid regardless ofthe operation of the appliance. This desirable result is accomplished ina large measof the coil 18 will be possible to open and close anannularly flanged extendingcoil 18 is valve or strained position asshown in Fig. 3.

reversed changing from concaveto convex erated in the 18 the end-38 ofwhich is sealed. The coil 18, conduit 19 and container 34 arequid. Theliquid used may beburner for supplying heat'tb the buckling diaphragm33. When the diaphragm 33 is distended or in the position shown in Fig.4 the liquid contents of the coil 18 have been expelled into the conduit19 and the container 34. Under these conditions the filled with thevapor of the liquid use andit may be subjected to considerable heatwithout affecting the operation of the causing further movement of thediaphragm. Upon extinguishment of the flame from the burner 17, thevapor within the coil 18 condenses to a liquid allowing the diaphragm 33to assume its' normal un- By th e use of a concave metallic-diaphragm ofthe type shown in connection with fluid pressure producing means, it ispossible toprovide a snap acting valve which has but one operatingelement, namely, the diaphragm. Diaphragms of this type when op mannerdisclosed move from one extreme-position to the other with a snap.

This characteristic of buckling diaphragms is due to the fact that theinitial resistance is the anaxifnum resistance and its requires .thebuilding up of sufficient pressure behind the diaphragm to move it toits extreme position before any movement at all takes place. Thethermostatic valve shown in Figs. 3 and 4 could be used in conjunctionwith a tank thermostat such as is used on automatic-water heaters, hotwater boilers and many other gas burning appliances.

Animportant feature of my improved control is the fact that there isalways present a ame for ignition of the main burner when the gas valve7 is open as the flame of the burner 17 functions as an igniter in theevent of extinguishment of the pilot burners 8 and 9.

'tion and illustration and that various modi fications of said apparatusand procedure can be made without departing from my inventionas definedin the appended claims. 1 H

Iclaim: a 1. An automatically controlled heating ap- I pliancecomprising a main heating burner, a source of fuel supply therefor, avalve for con-' trolling the supply of fuel to said burner,heatresponsive means for actuating said valve, an. auxiliary burner incommunication with said source independently of said main said heat rersponsive means, a constantly burning pilot burner for ignitingfuelissuing from said auxiliary burner, and a thermally actuated valve forcontrolling the flow of fuel to said auxiliary burner, said lastmentionedovalve being operable directly in accordance with of fuelsupply therefor, a pilot burner positioned in lightmg proximity to saidmain heating burner, an auxiliary burner located well below and inlighting proximity to said pilot burner, a thermally actuated valve forcontrolling the fuel supply of said main burner responsive in itsoperation to the heat supplied by said auxiliary burner, said auxiliaryburner being in communication with said source in advance of said valveto operate independently of the operation of said valve, and athermostatic valve remote from the appliance for controlling saidauxiliary burner and thereby the operation of said thermally actuatedvalve.

3. In an automatically controlled heating appliance, a main heatingburner, a source of fuel supply therefor, a constantly burning pilotburner located adjacent said main heating burner for igniting the same,an auxiliary burner positioned below said'burner arranged to be ignitedby said pilot burner and adapted at times to also provide a flame forassisting the ignition pilot of said main heating burner, a thermallyactuated valve for controlling the fuel supply of said main burnerresponsive in its operation to the heat provided by said auxiliaryburner, and a" thermostatic valve remote from the appliance forcontrolling said auxiliary burner and thereby the operation of saidthermally actuated valve.

4. In a heating appliance, a main burner, a source of fuel supplytherefor, a thermally actuated valve between said source of fuel anauxiliary supply and said main burner to control the fuel supplythereto, a constantly burning pilot burner for igniting said mainburner, an auxiliary burner positioned below and in lighting proximityto said pilot burner providing a flame also in lighting proximity tosaid main burner when gas is supplied thereto, and a thermostaticactuator for said valve responsive to the heat supplied by said auxiliary burner.

5. In a heating appliance, a main burner,

a source of fuel supply therefor, a thermally actuated valve betweensaid source of fuel supply and said main burner to control the fuelsupply thereto, a constantly burning pilot burner burner positionedbelow and in to said ilot" burner prolighting proximity in lightingproximity to viding a flame also I said main burner when gas is suppliedthereto, and'thermo-sensitive fl id pressure means responsive to theheat of said auxiliary burner for the actuation of said valve,

a main heating burner, a source for igniting said main burner,

6. In a heating appliance, amain burner, a source of fuel supplytherefor, a thermally actuated valve between said source of fuel supplyand said main burner to control the fuel supply thereto, a constantlyburning pilot burner for said main burner, an auxiliary burnerpositioned below and .in lighting proximity to said pilot burnerproviding a flame in lighting proximity to said main burner when gas issupplied thereto, and a thermostatic actuator for said valve positionedso as to be substantially unafiected by the heat of said main burner andresponsive to the heat supplied by said auxiliary burner.

7. In a heating appliance, an atmospheric type main gas burner adapatedto be suplied with secondary air from below the urner to complete thecombustion of fuel supplied thereto, a source of fuel supply for saidmain burner, a thermally actuated valve between said source of fuelsupply and said main burner to control the fuel supply thereto, aconstantly burning pilot burner for said main burner, an auxiliaryburner positioned below and in lighting proximity to said pilot burnerproviding a flame in lighting proximity to said main burner when gas issupplied thereto, and a thermostatic actuator for said valve positionedbelow said main burner and in. the path of the secondary air streamthereto, said actuator being responsive to the heat supplied by, saidauxiliary burner for the actuation of said valve.

8. An automatic room temperature controlling device for house heatingappliances and the like comprising the combination of one or morehydrocarbon fuel fired heating burners, a source of fuel supplytherefor, a

, pilot burner adapted to ignite one or more of said heating burners, athermostatically operated regulatin valve remote from said appliance andbeing responsive to room temperature conditions for maintaining thetemperature thereof at a predetermined point, a fuel supply valve forsaid heating burners, and means comprising an auxiliary burnercontrolled by said regulating valve and adapted to be ignited by saidpilot burner, said auxiliary burner being in communication with saidfuel supply in advance of said fuel supply valve to operateindependently of the operation thereof, and a heat responsive device responsive to the heat of said auxiliary burner for effecting theoperation of said supply valve whereby said heating burners areconnected to said source of fuel supply only when said pilot light isburning. a

9. An automatic room temperature con-' trolling device for house heatingappliances and the like comprising the combination of a hydrocarbon fuelfired heating burner, a fuel supply conduit therefor, a pilot burner forigniting said heating burner, a fuel supply valve in said conduit forcontrolling the supply of fuel to said heating burner, a heat responsivefluid pressure means for actuating said valve, an auxiliary burnerarranged to be ignited by said pilot burner for supplying heat to saidfluid pressure means, said auxiliary burner being in communication withsaid supply conduit in advance of said supply valve to operateindependently of the operation of said valve, and an automaticregulating valve solely operatable in accordance With predetermined roomtemperature conditions for controlling the operation of said auxiliaryburner.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

.15 EDMUND J. TE PAS.-

